Me (left) and Sam (right) practicing right before our big concert

I took lessons learning the shakuhachi as my CIP. There are different types of shakuhachi playing style, I was learning the Kinko-ryu shakuhachi as it is what my teacher was an expert at. I feel that the shakuhachi is a fairly hard instrument to learn during the start compared to the other traditional instruments like the koto or shamisen, but eventually you get the hang of it. We were invited to play for a concert near the end of our lessons which I felt was an amazing experience, both the pressure and the fun.

If you’re thinking about doing a traditional Japanese instrument, whether it’s shakuhachi, koto, shamisen, or something else, I think you should just go for it. Even if you don’t have any experience in western music because the music sheet and playing method is really different anyways. My best advice is to not go into these lessons to become an expert in the instrument (our shakuhachi teacher himself has decades of experience but he still feels like he has more to learn). Instead, I think it’s best to go into it with the mindset of building human connections. The shakuhachi is one thing, but take some time to ask about the the history, the songs, and the communities. You’ll find yourself learning about a completely new world than just an instrument.